I'm Staying
by houseofanubislover10897
Summary: What if Barron never followed Jacob into the loop? What if Jacob had decided to stay? Watch as Jake as he adjusts to being a part of the peculiar family, and explores his blooming relationship with Emma
1. The Decision

Jacob's POV

' _Damn_ _it_ _dad'_ I think to myself. I'm currently standing on the beach with my dad as he sets up our tent. It is pouring cats and dogs and I'm soaked. Dad thought it would be a great idea to camp on the shore so he'd have an early start for birdwatching,and decided to drag me along with him. ' _Calm_ _down_ _Jake_ _in two_ _days you can_ _finally stay_ _with_ _Emma_ ' I think to myself as I watch him finish setting up our tent. I've finally made up my mind, after this little camping trip with my dad I'm packing my stuff and moving into miss Peregrine's loop. I've been bouncing at the thought of being with Emma forever in our own little paradise. Ever since she brought me to the inside of her shipwreck hideout I haven't been able to stop thinking about her.

 **3 Hours Later** I'm laying in my sleeping bag listening to the rain as it falls. I can't sleep, all I've been thinking about is my friends,Emma, and miss Peregrine.

 _'I wonder that they're doing now?'_ I think to myself. I check my phone for the time and see that it is 10 pm. I look at my dad and see him fast asleep.

' _That's it I'm moving into that loop NOW'_ I decide. I quietly pack up all my stuff from the tent and sneak into the priest hole. I grab my stuff from there and write a quick letter to my dad.

 **Dear dad** **I'm sorry to leave without saying goodbye. But I can't take the pills,Dr. Golan,and the way you and mom look at me like I'm breakable anymore. I met some people that knew grandpa and they've invited me to stay with them. Please don't try to look for me, you won't succeed. I love you and mom and** **hope you'll forgive me one day. -Love Jacob M. Portman** I set the note on his bed and sneak out the window and down the drainpipe with my stuff. I hurry into the loop while making sure I'm not being followed. I walk up to the house and see a few of the lights on. I carefully and quietly get inside and lock the door behind me. I enter the living room and don't see anyone in there.

 _'I should sleep here tonight, I don't want to wake anyone'_ I think to myself.I take off my shoes and put my stuff next to on of the couches. Then I lay down on the couch and drift off to sleep, happy to finally be home.


	2. Room For One More

Emma's POV

 _'Where is he?'_ I think to myself worriedly. Jake's been gone for two days and I'm starting to get really worried.

 _'What if he doesn't come back?'_ I shake that thought from my head. He'll come back, I know he will. As everyone continues to eat supper I begin to get lost in my thoughts. I think about Jake and hoping that he'll stay with us, stay with me. If I didn't have straps holding me to my chair I'm sure I'd be floating from the happiness of those thoughts.

"Emma why aren't you eating?" Millard asks me. I blush and take a few bites from my carrots.

"She's busy thing about Jake" Hugh answers. The other kids except Enoch giggle at this,causing me to blush.

"Now now children let's not tease miss bloom any longer. Continue eating everyone" miss Peregrine says. I smile at her gratefully and we continue eating while happily chatting with each other. I can't help but glance at the empty chair next to me. Hoping that the next time we have a meal Jake will be in that spot. After everyone finishes eating and the loop has been reset everyone rushes off to bed. I close my bedroom door and change into my nightgown. Nothing special just a long pale blue one that goes a little below my knees. I crawl into my bed and imagine Jake laying next to me with his arms around my waist,holding me tightly against him. I soon fall asleep to the thought of him whispering that he loves me and kissing me on the cheek.

 **The Next Morning** I wake up and quickly get dressed. I have a feeling that my Jake will return to me today. I hurry down the stairs and see all of the children crowding one of the couches in the living room. I hurry into the room to see what's going on and am greeted with the sight of my love laying on the couch fast asleep. He has his arms crossed and I can see the defined muscles in his arms. I blush and creep closer, hoping to see his beautiful grey eyes looking back up at me. I get on my knees in front of him and kiss his cheek. As I pull away I see his eyes flutter open and he grins at me sleepily.

"Good morning em" he says tiredly before yawning. I giggle and he kisses my cheek once before sitting up.

"When did you get here?" Olive asks him curiously. I look at him silently asking the same thing.

"I got here at about 11:30 last night. I would have gotten here sooner but I had to grab the rest of my stuff. I didn't want to wake anyone so I slept down here" he says before letting out a big yawn. That's when I notice the three strange bags on the floor next to me. I look at him hopefully as I realize what he just said.

"I'm staying" he says smiling. Everyone shouts in happiness as Jake and I hug. He stands up and hugs everyone except for Enoch, who just nods at him in understanding.

"What on earth is happening in her?"is Peregrine says as she enters the room,holding a giant serving bowl filled with oatmeal. She sees Jake and smiles at him.

"Do you have room for one more in this family?" he asks her grinning.

"There's always room" she smiles before going back into the kitchen. Jake grins at me before wrapping a arm around my shoulders and hugging me to him.

I smile and lean into him,enjoying the simple act of affection. He kisses the top of my head before removing his arm. Before I can protest he takes my hand and leads me into the kitchen,with the others following us. We all sit down and begin to eat our first meal with the new member of our family.


	3. You Got Me

Jake's POV

I scoop some oatmeal into my bowl and grab one scone from the platter in front of me. As I start buttering both halves of my scone I feel a small tap on my right shoulder. I turn my head and see Bronwyn looking at me curiously.

"What is it sweetie?" I ask her. she blushes and seems to be thinking of what to say. At this point everyone has stopped eating and is watching our little exchange.

"Are you our brother now?" she asks me nervously and I freeze. I would love to be her brother, a brother to all of them except Emma of course,but I don't want her to feel like I'm replacing Victor. I look at all of them and see all of the younger ones and Olive looking at me hopefully. I turn back to Bronwyn and smile at her.

"Yes I'm your brother now. I know I'm not Victor and I would never try to replace him,but I'd love to be one of your brothers" I tell her. She squeals and bounces out of her chair and hugs me. I hug her back and soon Horace,Millard, the twins,Claire,Fiona,and Hugh are getting out of their seats to hug me too. I hug all of them and the twins come up to me and hug me at the same time. I look up from them to see miss Peregrine smiling at me. I rub their backs for a few seconds before telling them to go finish their breakfast. They go to their seats and I continue to butter my scone.

"I would like to propose a toast to our new brother Jake" Horace announces. Everyone holds up their glass and clinks them together.

"I would just like to say that I'm so happy to be here. I know all of you were close to my grandfather and I hope one day we will all be very close too. I first came here to learn more about him and instead I found a new family and I don't regret one thing" I say to all of them. They all cheer and we finish our meal while happy chatting goes on. I turn to my left and see Emma grinning at me. I smile at her before I finish eating.

We are all now finished eating and are going outside to play. Miss Peregrine pulls me aside before I cab follow everyone else outside.

"I know thing's have been really hard for you lately and if you ever need to talk just know that I'm here" she tells me. I smile at her and she tells me to run along with everyone else.

"I'll be out there in a minute I just need to get something" I tell her. She nods and walks outside. I grab my things and put them in my room in one trip. I can't believe I have the whole attic to myself. I take a step by my bed and see that I have a few loose floorboards and notice something hiding inside. I pick up the floorboards and see a guitar case laying there. I take it out and replace the floorboards. I open the case and see a beautiful guitar inside. I pick it up and strum a few chords to see if it's in tune, it is. I remember my grandfather teaching me how to play growing up and decide to practice outside. I put it back in its case and zip it up before fastening it over my shoulder and going downstairs. I put on my shoes and go outside. I see all of the kids and miss Peregrine glance at me curiously as I find a quiet little spot in their range of sight and sitting on the grass. I unfasten the guitar case from my shoulder and take it out of its case. I think for a few seconds about what to play. I finally decide to just practice by playing _You Got Me_ by _Gavin_ _Degraw_. I play it for a few minutes before deciding to sing some of the lyrics. At this point I notice Horace and the twins starting to walk over to me while the others continue to watch.

"When the fear takes you down,when dark takes you under,when you sink like a stone and can't breath" I start to sing. Now all of them are walking over to me and I see Emma practically bouncing in excitement. I grin at them before focusing on the song.

"When the tears take control,when the demons take over,won't be in this alone you've got me" I continue. The kids are all sitting around me,even Enoch. And Emma is sitting next to me and lays her head on my shoulder. I kiss the top of her head before continuing.

" Ooooooooo Ooooooooo yeah Ooooooooo You got me, when the walls all cave in,When the nights all get colder,when you hang by a thread

of sanity. Rest your head on my heart,

hang your pain on my shoulders,

make your way to my arms

cause you got me" I start to strum a little faster.

"Ooooooooo Ooooooooo yeah, Ooooooooo You got me. I'll be the one to lead you home. I'll be the one to keep you warm. I'll take you in out of the storm. When you can't stand I'll stand up for you" I sing a little louder.

"When the fear takes you down,When the doubt takes you under,you're not in this alone. You got me. Ooooooooo Ooooooooo yeah. Ooooooooo you got me. I'll be the one to lead you home, I'll be the one to keep you warm,I'll take you in out of the storm,when you can't stand I'll stand up for you" I finish while playing the ending chords. Suddenly all of the children and Miss Peregrine erupt into cheers and clapping.

"Where'd you find that guitar?" Horace asks me.

"It was hidden in my room" I tell him.

"That was your grandfather's. We haven't seen it since before he left,we thought he took it with him" he explains to me. I look down before I suddenly realize what I just did.

"Oh I'm so sorry miss Peregrine i t won't happen again" I apologize before getting up and quickly putting the guitar back in its case.

"Jake you haven't done anything wrong why are you apologising?" she asks me confusedly.

"I know you probably don't like things from the future and I just played one of my favourite songs from my time" I told her ashamed. She frowns and walks over to me while putting her hand on my shoulder.

"No I should be the one that's sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel like you couldn't show us who you really are" she tells me. Suddenly I feel a pair of arms around me and see Emma smiling brightly up at me. I look around at everyone and see all of them smiling, even Enoch so I'm guessing he's starting to like me.

 _'I really do belong here'_ I think to myself.

"One thing's for sure, we'll never be bored with you around" Millard says happily.

We all realize the time and start getting ready to do our chores. Since I don't have any I'm just helping Emma with hers. Starting with putting a baby squirrel back in it's tree.


	4. First Kiss

Jake's POV

Emma and I walk to the tree holding hands. I want to ask her ' _what are_ _we now?'_ but I don't think it's the right time. For now I'm just glad that it seems like we are together now and that we're happy. I watch as sh catches the squirrel in her hand and smile at her.

 _'I love it when she does that'_ I think to myself. She smiles back at me and I take the rope off of my shoulder and carefully wrap one end of it around her waist twice and tie it. I hold onto the rope tightly as she unbuckles her shoes and starts floating up. I watch as she puts it back in it's little nest and I start pulling her down. Once she's close enough I put my right hand on her shoulder and gently pull her down to the ground. She buckles her shoes and then hugs me. I wrap my arms around her and she sighs happily.

"Can I tell you something?" I ask her.

"Of course" she answers me. She looks up at me and I only see adoration in her eyes.

"did you know that no guys at my school can say that they have a British babe that can fly as their girlfriend " I tell her while gently putting my forehead against her. She blushes and I chuckle for a few seconds.

"I'm your girlfriend" she says hopefully.

"Only if you want to be" I whisper to her. She squeals and that's when I make a snap decision.

 _'That's it I'm kissing her!'_ I think to myself determinedly. I pull her by the shoulders and firmly press my lips against hers. She immediately kisses me back and tangles her fingers into my hair. Our kiss slowly turns from frantic to gentle and loving. I peck her on the lips one last time before pulling away. We're both panting and her cheeks are red I'm sure mine are too. I put my right hand on the back of her head and gently kiss her forehead. She sighs in content and we stay there in our own little world for a few minutes before walking hand in hand back to our home.

We just finished eating dinner and are now getting ready for movie time. Horace pulls out his eyeglass and holds it up to his eye. We watch as this mornings breakfast scene plays out before us and changes into me and Emma putting the squirrel back in the tree, thankfully not showing our kiss. Emma is curled up against me with her head on my shoulder. We watch as on screen Horace tries on a fancy new suit and the clip ends. We then go outside and watch the reset. I watch in fascination as the sky goes from night to day,and to night again.

We all go inside after it's over and go upstairs to go to bed. I walk Emma to her door and kiss her on the cheek.

"Goodnight em" I whisper to her. She leans up and kisses me on my chin.

"Goodnight Jake" she whispers before going into her room and closing the door. I hurry up the stairs to my room and quickly change into a pair of boxers and sweatpants. I lay on my bed and soon fall fast asleep dreaming about my floating girl


	5. Breakfast In Bed

Emma's POV

I wake up and quietly creep down the stairs. No one else is awake and I want to make a special breakfast for Jake. I go into the kitchen and gather all of the ingredients I need to make blueberry pancakes, his favorite. I finish cooking the pancakes and clean up the mess. I put them on a plate and put some butter on them. Then I grab a fork and knife and pour a glass of orange juice. I put all of the stuff on a tray and grab some napkins. I carefully climb up the stairs and stop in front of Jake's bedroom door. I carefully hold the tray with one arm and open the door. I carefully slip inside and close the door behind me. I walk over to his bedside table and place the tray on it. I take a few steps towards Jake's bed until I'm right next to him and smile at how adorable he looks. His blanket is up to his nose and he has his arm around one of his pillows. I bend down and gently shake his shoulder.

"Jake wake up sweetheart" I whisper into his ear. His eyes twitch and he slowly opens them. He moves his face so it's no longer hidden under his blanket and smiles at me tiredly. I grin at him and lean in to kiss his cheek,he turns his head and kisses me on the lips and wraps and arm around my waist and pulls me down on top of him. I giggle and he presses gentle kisses against my jaw and my neck.

"Good morning Emma" he says tiredly before letting put a big yawn. I giggle again and he smiles up at me.

"I made breakfast" I tell him happily and gesture to the tray. He looks over at the tray and sits up, and keeps me sitting on his lap. He leans in and kisses me gently and I kiss him back. He pulls away and that's when I notice that he's shirtless. I blush and look up and down at his perfectly sculpted chest. He has a faint six pack on his chest and some lightly defined muscles on his arms.

"Having fun checking out your boyfriend love?" he asks playfully. I blush and nod my head yes. He chuckles and kisses my cheek before moving me so I'm sitting on his bed and he takes the juice off the tray and puts it back on the nightstand before carrying the tray to his bed and sitting next to me. He places the tray on his lap and cuts the pancakes. He forks a couple prices and holds them up to my lips. I take the bite and then take the fork from him and get a few pieces to feed him. He takes the bite and I watch him nervously, hoping he'll like them. He moans at the taste and I smile in relief.

"Beautiful, smart,funny,talented, and makes amazing pancakes? it's official I have the best girlfriend ever" he says happily. I blush and he kisses my jaw, and takes the fork from me.

"Thank you baby" he whispers to me lovingly.

"You're welcome love" I reply smiling. We sit there in our own little world feeding each other and chatting happily. I get up and begin to walk towards the door holding the tray and dirty dishes, when Jake suddenly wraps his arms around me and places a kiss on my cheek and on my neck.

"Tomorrow I'm making you breakfast" he murmurs into my neck. I shiver at the feeling of his warm breath on my neck and nod my head yes, unable to focus on anything except for him. He releases my waist and I carry the tray down the stairs and put everything in the sink. I hurry back up to Jake's room and close his door behind me. He is still standing in front of his bed and opens his arms wide for me. I rush over to him and wrap my arms around his neck. He wraps his arms around my waist and holds me close to him.

"I love you" he whispers into my ear. I close my eyes and get lost in the feeling of being in his arms.

"I love you too" I whisper back. He kisses my forehead and rests his chin on the top of my head.

"Our forever is only just beginning" he whispers to me. I smile,the idea of being with Jacob forever makes me feel like I have butterflies in my stomach.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way" I tell him.

"Me either" he agrees. We're suddenly kissing again and he takes his right arm off my waist and cups my face in his hand as we kiss. In this moment we are just two teenager happily in love, and I wouldn't change that for anything.

 **Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the reviews on my stories, I love to hear what you guys have to say and hope I'm doing a good job keeping my stories interesting for all of you. I will be updating my stories a couple times between now and Friday, and after that I unfortunately will not be able to update until Sunday night.**


	6. Quite The Scare

Jake's POV

We break away from our kiss and I lead her down the stairs and into the kitchen. Everyone is sitting there waiting for us and I smile at them. Emma and I sit in our seats and I pour some orange juice into our glasses. As we're all sitting there happily eating and talking I suddenly feel that familiar pain in my chest.

' _Please not again'_ I think to myself as I start wheezing. Suddenly all the talking stops and everyone is looking at me.

"Jake are you alright?" miss Peregrine asks me concerned. I try to shake my head no and that's when I slip put of my chair and land on the ground. I hear all of the children gasp and cry out and shock. I start wheezing and gasping for breath heavily.

Emma's POV

We're all just sitting together chatting happily as everyone eats and suddenly I hear Jake gasping and wheezing. I look over at him and I'm shocked to see that his face has gone very pale.

"Jake are you alright?" miss Peregrine asks him. He tries to shake his head and suddenly he's falling out of his chair and onto the ground. Everyone gasps and cries out in shock and rush out of their seats to see what's wrong with him. I kneel down beside him and feel tears stinging my eyes.

"Jake what's wrong?" Horace asks worriedly.

"He can't breath!" Bronwyn exclaims.

"Jake what can we do?" Fiona asks.

"A-attic... de-desk...backpack" he gasps out weakly before starting to wheeze frantically.

"Olive go get the backpack" miss Peregrine demand worriedly. Olive rushes up the stairs and I sob.

"Please be ok Jake" I whimper. He looks up at me and shakily grabs my hand. He's trying to comfort me when it should be the other way around. Olive races back to us with the bag in her hands.

"Front p-pocket... Blue L-shaped" he's gasps out. Olive unzips the pocket and grabs what he's asking for. He lets go of my hand and takes the object from her. He shakily brings it to his mouth and starts breathing into it,taking frantic deep breaths. After a few minutes he starts gasping less and starts to breath regularly. After a few more minutes he's breathing regularly and takes the thing out of his mouth. I feel my tears sliding down my cheeks and he touches my arm.

"E-Emma it's alright" he says shakily.

"What was that? What just happened?" I ask him worriedly. He tries to sit up and falls back onto the ground. Enoch and I help him sit back in his chair and he speaks again. I kneel on the ground next to him and look up at him worriedly.

"That was an asthma attack. It's weird because I haven't had one in months" he explains.

"You mean this has happened before?" Hugh asks concerned. The thought of Jake going through this before scares me.

"Yes" Jake answers. He's still breathing heavier than normal but he's starting to get better.

"Does this happen often Jake?" miss Peregrine asks.

"When I was about Bronwyn's age it happened all the time. As I got older I started having them less and less" he answers her. I rest my chin on his leg and he looks back down at me.

"Don't worry I'm ok now, it was probably just a late reaction from exploring the old house. The mold and dust probably caused it" he tries to comfort me. I can't hold back my tears and launch myself into his chest, sobbing. He wraps his arms around me and holds me as I cry.

Jake's POV

I look at all of the other children while Emma cries into my chest and see all of the little ones in tears. The twins are hugging each other and are letting out small whimpers. Olive and Enoch are looking at me very concerned. Enoch has his arm around Olive's shoulders, and she's leaning into his chest. Miss Peregrine is watching me as if she's worried I'll have another attack any second.

"Guys really it's ok. I'm ok" I try to comfort them. Emma calms down and pulls away from me. I watch her concerned as she sits in the chair next to me and watches me worriedly. Suddenly the twins launch themselves at me and I wrap my arms around them. I feel them shaking against me and realize they're crying.

"Boys please don't cry. I'm here I'm right here" I whisper to them soothingly. I feel them clutch to me and start to hum to them soothingly. They start to calm down and I rub their backs comfortingly. Then all of the kids including Emma rush over to us and join our embrace. I pull the twins closer to me and enjoy the feeling of being an older brother. I love my new brothers and sisters and I plan to make sure that they'll never forget that. I look up at miss Peregrine and she's smiling at all of us. I nod my head in our direction and she joins our embrace.

"I love you all" I tell them. Instead of giving me a verbal response I feel everyone shift closer to me. I turn my head to look at Emma, who is behind the twins and smile at her. She smiles back at me and I feel butterflies flutter in my chest. I feel bad that I scared them all, but it means a lot to me to know that I finally have a family that really cares about me. My grandpa was the only one in my family that has ever really cared and took care of me when this happened. Most of the times I'd had an asthma attack I was with him, the few times that I wasn't I was left to look after myself. I'd learned to always keep my inhaler with me. The last time I'd had an attack was two months ago and I was home alone with my dad. I was in my room and he was in the living room watching football. He never heard me gasping out for help over the sounds of the TV, and when I'd come out of my room a few minutes later after I'd calmed down he'd just told me what a great game I was missing and went back to watching the game. I'd ignored him and had gotten a glass of water before returning to my room. Snapping out of my thoughts I focus on my new family and embrace the love they are giving me.

 _'This is where I really belong'_ I think to myself. Surrounded by my girlfriend, brothers and sisters, and our motherly figure.


	7. Easing Her Worries

Emma's POV

After everyone breaks away from the hug we all get back into our seats and slowly finish our meal. Jake and I only drinking our juice since we already ate. I can't believe that Jake is used to that happening to him. I was so scared that he was going to die. I glance at him and see him taking a sip from his juice. After a few minutes everyone has finished eating and miss Peregrine sends everyone outside to play. I follow Jake as he goes to join Hugh and Millard who are kicking their ball around the yard. I grab his shoulder and stop him from joining them, he looks back at me confused.

"Jake are you should you should be doing that? You shouldn't strain yourself after what happened" I say to him.

"Emma I'm perfectly capable of playing with a ball, I'm not breakable" he tells me before jogging off and joining the boys. I watch sadly as he starts to kick the ball with Hugh and Millard follow him laughing. After finishing the game with the boys he runs over to Claire and Bronwyn and gives them both piggy back rides around the yard. Just as he's about to get Hugh and Millard's ball from I dinosaur shaped bush I gently tug on his shirt.

"Jake you really shouldn't st-" I start to say before he cuts me off.

"Emma I am not breakable. I appreciate that you care about me but will you please back off some, I need to breath" he says frustratedly. I back away a few steps and feel tears prick my eyes.

 _'He's never been mad at me before'_ I whimper to myself. Regret flashes into his eyes and he steps closer to me.

"I-I'm sorry J-Jake I'm just so scared tha-" I start to say before he cuts me off with a tight hug.

"No I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you" he says against my hair. I nuzzle my face into his neck and he rubs my back for a few seconds. He pulls away slightly and looks down at me.

"If it means so much to you, I'll take it easy just for today" he tells me. I smile at him and he smiles back.

"Right after this" he says. Before I can respond he's turned his back to me and is jumping up and hitting the ball out of the dinosaur bush's mouth. He picks up the ball and throws it to Millard and Hugh, who say thank you before returning to their game. Jake wraps his arm around my shoulders and leads me over to a tall shady tree and we sit down with our backs against the trunk.

"Can I ask you something?" I ask him.

"Technically you just did, but sure" he chuckles. I let out a small giggle before turning serious.

"How are you so relaxed after what happened this morning?" I ask him, watching his face for any reaction. He sighs and watches the children continue to play for a few minutes before glancing back at me.

"Well like I told you earlier, when I was young it happened all the time. As I grew up I just got used to it and it barely fazes me anymore" he tells me.

"I was so scared Jake, I thought you were going to die" I whimper. He wraps his arm around me and pulls me to his side. I snuggle up to him and feel tears slide down my cheeks.

"Please don't cry Emma, I'm ok really I am" he says soothingly as he rubs my back. We stay like this for a few more minutes before I say anything else.

"It's just hard to process how anyone could get used to going through something like that" I tell him.

"Believe me I know what you mean. It took me a very long time to get used to it, but after a while it gets easier" he tells me. I decide I've had enough of this depressing topic and think of something else to talk about.

"What were you like?" I ask him.

"Well I wasn't anything special as a kid. The only friend I really ever had growing up was my grandfather. He would tell me stories about this place every night as a kid, and we'd marked his old map with red stickers to mark where the loops were and what year and day they were. My mom's side of the family is very wealthy and my dad wanted to write a book" he tells me before taking a deep breath. I can't believe Jake doesn't have any friends from his own time, if I was from 2016 I would have definitely hung out with him everyday.

"I worked in my uncle's store, and I hated it very much. I was constantly bullied by my peers and eventually decided that I was better off on my own" he continues.

"Do you still feel that way?" I ask him, concerned.

"Actually I haven't felt that way since I first met you" he admits. He looks away to hide the blush that's starting to heat up his cheeks. I giggle at his cuteness and kiss him on the cheek, causing his blush to darken. This sends me into a fit of laughter and after a few seconds he starts laughing with me. We sit there for a little while longer just talking about little things. He told me about how he used to walk along the beach by his house and how he'd also go do something called surfing on a good day. I told him how I would explore my shipwreck and the other ships near it when I was bored or lonely. We just stay there in our own little world telling each other facts about ourselves until miss Peregrine calls everyone inside for lunch. Jake helps me stand up and together we walk back inside of the house, feeling closer than ever.


	8. A Painful Reminder

Jake's POV

I sit next to Emma at the dinner table and everyone begins to eat. I'm not very hungry so I'm only picking at my salad. Miss Peregrine notices that I'm not eating and unusually quiet so she speaks up.

"Jake are you alright?" she asks me. Everyone stops eating their food and looks at me worriedly.

"Yeah I'm alright. I'm just not very hungry" I tell her before taking a small bite of lettuce.

"Maybe you should get some rest tygrysku" she says.

"no I think I'll just g-" I cut myself off when I realize what she just called me. I look at her in shock and feel sadness begin to bubble up inside me. By now all of the children are looking at me concerned, not understanding why I was upset.

"Jake what's wrong?" Emma asks me. I turn my head towards her and see her watching me worriedly.

"Nothing's wrong I've just lost the rest of my appetite" I tell her before looking away and pushing away my plate.

"May I be excused?" I ask miss Peregrine, looking up at her eagerly.

"Of course, Jake I didn't mean to-" I get out of my chair and am already walking out of the kitchen before she can even finish her sentence. I pause in the doorway before turning back to look at her.

"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't call me that again" I murmur before leaving the room.

"Where are you going?" Emma asks as she hurriedly catches up to me at the front door.

"I need some air" I tell her before opening the door.

"I'll go with you" she starts to say while taking a few steps towards me.

"No. no I just really need to be alone right now Emma, I'll be back later" I tell her before quickly exiting the house, not even waiting for her to respond. I know I'm being really mean but I need some time to myself. I don't want anyone to see me break down, especially Emma. I walk into the woods in the back of the house and just keep walking.

 _'I'll apologise to miss Peregrine when I get back'_ I think to myself. I feel bad about leaving like I did, but I was shocked when she said my grandpa's nickname for me. I'm not angry at her for calling me that, but I'd prefer it if that name just stayed as his thing. I don't want anyone else to call me that. I continue to walk away from my new family, with memories of my grandfather and I racing through my head. I remember how we used to sit at the table and use little red stickers to mark loop locations, and he'd tell me something special about each one. By the time I am finally able to stop thinking about him, I'm in a huge clearing and see a giant tree in the center and the sun is starting to set. I walk over to the tree and sit with my back against it. I enjoy the feeling of the cool air against my skin and start to calm down. I close my eyes and try to keep the tears at bay.

 _'I miss him'_ I think to myself sadly. After a few minutes of fighting back tears I decide to think about things that will cheer me up. I think about playing with Millard and Hugh earlier today, laying on my stomach in the living room as I color with Fiona,Claire,Bronwyn, and the twins. And then I think about playing with Emma on the beach,chasing after her and spinning her around, her laughing against my chest and me chuckling into her hair. I smile for a few seconds before remembering how cold I had acted towards her earlier. Regret floods through me and I open my eyes after feeling raindrops begin to fall on me. I am startled to see that it is nighttime and realize that the changeover will happen very soon. I quickly stand up and begin to walk through the woods, using the flashlight on my phone to light the way. After about an hour of walking the changeover begins. I stop walking and just watch in amazement as the sky begins to change from night to day and to night again. The rain stops and I continue to walk back to my home and my girl.

Emma's POV

"Where on earth is he?" miss Peregrine asks worriedly as she continues to pace back and forth in the living room. Everyone else is sitting on the couches or on the floor looking as worried and afraid as she is. We've all been here since after the changeover and refuse to rest until we know Jake is safe. I'm curled up on one of the couches by myself and have my face hiding in my knees, hiding my tears. He's been gone for several hours and I'm so worried that he'll never come back to us, to me. I know he wasn't upset with me but I hate that he won't let me in and know how he's feeling. After Jake left miss Peregrine had explained to us that tygrysku was Abe's nickname for Jake. After we were told this we all immediately understand why Jake had left like he did. And we'd all decided to give him his space, but when the hours ticked by and Jake wasn't back when it was starting to get dark we got worried. We'd all went on our daily walk earlier than we usually do to look for him and couldn't find him anywhere. We'd eaten supper in awkward silence, filled with too much worry for our friend to speak. I snap out of my thoughts and decide we need to look for him again. Before I can even begin to move We hear the front door open and close and perk up, hoping it's Jake. Our wish is fulfilled when we see Jake walk over to the doorway and lean against the wood.

"Miss Peregrine I'm sorry ab-" he gets cut off when miss Peregrine hugs him. He stands there in shock for a few seconds before she pulls away.

"No Jake I'm the one that should be sorry, I should have realized that nickname would cause you to be very emotional and I shouldn't have said it" she says relieved. He smiles awkwardly at her before taking a few steps towards us. That's when all hell breaks loose. Everyone is jumping up and hugging Jake as if their lives depended on it, begging him to not scare them like that again. After a few minutes I'm the only one who hasn't gotten to hug him. After the twins let go of him he looks up at me and holds his arms out invitingly. I run over to him and wrap my arms around his neck. He wraps his arms tightly around me and buries his face into my hair.

"I'm sorry about earlier" he mumbles into my hair. I nuzzle my face into his neck and gently kiss it. He sighs happily and hugs me closer.

"Don't be. I understand" I say comfortingly. He kisses the top of my head and breaks our hug.

"Alright children Jake has returned and it is time for bed" miss Peregrine says. We all rush upstairs and Jake kisses my forehead when we're outside my bedroom door.

"Goodnight Em" he whispers.

"Goodnight Jake" I say before retreating into my room. After about an hour of tossing and turning on my bed I give up and carefully put on my shoes and unstrap myself from my bed. I quietly sneak out of my room and up the stairs to Jake's room. I open the door and carefully close it behind me. I walk over to his bed and lay next to him. I kiss his jaw and he sleepily opens his eyes.

"Emma? what are you doing here?" he asks tiredly.

"I couldn't sleep. Can I stay with you tonight?" I ask him hopefully. He lets out a small yawn before smiling at me tiredly.

"Of course. Take off your shoes" he tells me.

"But I'll float all night" I say confusedly. He lets out a small chuckle before wrapping his arms around me tightly.

"Not if I hold you all night" he says lovingly. I smile at him and kiss his jaw lovingly before unbuckling my shoes and carefully placing them on the floor next to the bed. He pulls me tighter against his chest and I soon fall asleep in the arms of my love.


	9. Family History

Jake's POV

I wake up but I don't open my eyes, instead I just bask in pleasure of having my girl in my arms. Emma shifts in my arms so she's facing me and buries her face into my neck. I feel her warm breath against my neck and sigh in contentment. I kiss the top of her head and open my eyes. I look down at my beautiful girl and can't help the feeling of pride I feel rumble in my chest.

 _'How did I get so lucky to have such an amazing girl?'_ I wonder. I shake that thought from my head and begin to kiss every inch of her face. She sighs happily and opens her eyes. She looks up at me sleepily and grins at me, I smile back at her and kiss her on the lips.

"Good morning baby" I say before carefully sitting up. I make sure I hold onto her hand so she doesn't float off as I grab her shoes. She holds on to my shoulders as I strap her shoes onto her feet. After I finish that I stand up and wrap my arms around her waist. She places one hand against my bare chest and I kiss her lovingly. We break away from our kiss and I quickly put on a white T-shirt so I'm not just wearing my black basketball shorts. I grab her hand and quietly lead her downstairs and into the dining room.

"Stay here babe, I promised I'd make you breakfast today" I say happily as I sit her down in her spot at the table. She smiles at me and I walk into the kitchen. I quickly get started on cooking eggs,sausages, and my gran's famous cornbread. After I'm done cooking enough food for everyone I set up the table and serve the food. Emma smiles at me as I exit the dining room and call everyone down for breakfast. I sit next to Emma and we watch as everyone slowly begins to join us. Once everyone is seated we all begin to eat.

"Jake this cornbread is amazing!" Olive compliments me.

"Thanks I'm sure my gran would greatly appreciate the compliment on her recipe" I say while buttering my own slice. I look up and see them all looking at me surprised.

"This is your gran's recipe?" Horace asks surprised.

"Yeah. She gave me a bunch of her recipes before she'd passed away. Why is something wrong?" I ask him while looking around at the others.

"Nothing's wrong, it's just that we weren't expecting you to mention your family. You've barely talked about them since you came here" Fiona assures me.

"I'm sorry if you think I'm being secretive about my family, it's just that I know that they're not the kind of people you'd be interested in. If you have any questions though, feel free to ask" I tell them.

"What are your parents like?" Hugh asks hesitantly.

"Well my mom is very wealthy, in fact the whole side of her family is" I say nervously. Their eyes widen I tell them this, I look down embarrassed. I hate it when ever I have to mention that my family is wealthy, I hate showing off.

"You're rich!" Horace exclaims.

"Oh perfect! No wonder the American acts like he's better than everyone else" Enoch says bitterly. I look up and I glare at him.

"Let's get one thing straight _dead_ boy, I don't care about money. My parents have tried to make me care about it but I honestly couldn't care less. My BEST friend is poorer than dirt and I never EVER rubbed it in his face. My mother cares about her 'image' and about her money more than she cares about me" I growl out. His eyes widen at my tone and I continue speaking before he can get a word out.

"And I hate it when it's pointed out that I'm rich, in fact I never planned to ever say anything about it here because I didn't want to be treated any differently. The reason I'm telling you all of this is to prove how much I trust all of you, and I will never not be honest with all of you" I finish. I breath heavily while I try to calm down. I see them all looking at me in shock and I saw that Claire and Bronwyn had a bit of fear in their eyes. I take a deep breath and calm down before I start speaking again.

"As for my dad he is a bird watcher. He's been trying to write books but he never sticks to something long enough to finish it" I begin.

"I came here with him. My mom was gone that we were going to be gone for three weeks. I even heard her talking on the phone with her friend saying she was 'glad to have her life back and not have two needy children to look after" my voice breaks at the end. Everyone else gasps in shock when I reveal this.

"My dad is alcoholic and likes to spend time at the bar rather than talk to his own son. In fact the other night when I first came here I had tried to have a heart to heart conversation with him. And do you know what he said? He said 'Jake if you want to talk about this stuff you should just call Dr. Golan' who is my psychiatrist" I finish while looking away, ashamed. I feel tears prick my eyes and blink them away.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'm going to my room" I murmur before getting up and leaving the kitchen. I walk up the stairs and do into my room, making sure to lock the door behind me. I sit on the foot of my bed and bury my head in my hands. I hear frantic knocking on the door and look up slightly.

"Jake please let me in" miss Peregrine says gently.

"Miss Peregrine I really need to be alone right now" I say desperately.

"Emma's worried about you" she tries again.

"Tell her I'm ok and that I'll come out soon" I say just loud enough for her to hear.

"Alright. But Jake I just need you to understand that we're here for you, and that we'll never judge you" she says quietly before I heat footsteps walking away from my room and down the stairs. I take a deep breath and feel tears begin to slide down my cheeks. I admit that I miss my parents a little, but at the same time I'm so happy to have a family that really loves me and actually cares about me. I lay down and think about everything that's happened this week. I officially moved into miss Peregrine's loop, Emma and I became a couple, I had an asthma attack, and I just told everyone the truth about my parents. My head starts pounding and I groan in pain. Suddenly there's another series of knocks on the door and I carefully sit up.

"Jake can I please come in?" Emma whimpers from the other side of the door. I groan in pain and walk over to the door.

"Emma I really don't feel good right now, you should go join the others. I'll be down soon" I say while leaning against the door.

"Please Jake" she begs. I can't stand hearing the sadness in her voice and unlock the door. I open it slowly and see her looking up at me worriedly. She launches herself into my chest and I close and lock the door behind us. I hug her against me and she relaxes into my arms.

"Please don't shut me out" she begs against my shoulder. I kiss the top of her head and she looks up at me.

"It's no wonder you don't talk about your feelings, your family wouldn't let you" she says sadly. She sniffs and I rub her back slowly.

"You're my family now" I whisper lovingly. She smiles sadly and lightly kisses me on the lips. I kiss her back and begin to walk us towards my bed. She falls back onto it and I land on top of her. Our kiss becomes more urgent and hot and I put my hands on her hips as we continue to make out. She strokes my cheek with her right hand while her left hand rests on the back of my neck, playing with a little bit of my hair. I swipe my tongue across her bottom lip and she opens her mouth eagerly. I start tugging on the skirt of her dress when suddenly there's a knock on the door.


	10. Back To Normal

Jake's POV

We immediately break our kiss and straighten ourselves out. Emma looks up at me nervously and I see that her cheeks are flushed. She sits on the end of my bed and I open the door.

"Sorry for interrupting your chat Jake, I would just like to apologize for Enoch's behavior downstairs" Olive says apologetically. I smile at her in appreciation and she smiles back.

"That's alright Olive but would you mind leaving us alone for a bit? I need to talk about something important with Emma" I ask her gently.

"Sure Jake" she says kindly before leaving. I close and lock the door again, and walk back over to my bed. I sit next to Emma and think of how to approach this subject.

"Emma we need to talk" I say gently. She looks up at me and I can see confusion and concern in her eyes.

"Is something wrong?" she asks nervously.

"No nothing's wrong it's just that I've noticed you've been acting different since I decide to stay" I tell her honestly.

"Different how?" she asks curiously, but I can see in her eyes that she knows what I'm talking about.

"You're not as...bold as you used to be, It just seems like you're more dependent on me, like you're afraid of something" I say while looking down at her concerned. She looks down and I can see that she wants to say something but can't get the words out.

"Emma if there's something wrong, you can tell me" I encourage her gently.

"It's just...after your grandfather left, I was lonely for seventy six years, and when you arrived and we started becoming close I-" she stops mid-sentence, I wrap my arms around her shoulders, silently encouraging her to continue.

"I quickly became attached. And when you'd decided to stay I was delighted, but soon I became worried that you'd change your mind, that you'd leave if I was too headstrong" she admits ashamedly while looking down at her lap. I cup her cheek in my hand and make her look up at me.

"Emma I love how strong and dependant you are, it's what makes you who you are. Now there's nothing wrong with depending on me a bit, but I want you to be yourself, a beautiful, strong, independent, brave young woman" I tell her genuinely.

"You think I'm beautiful?" she asks bashfully. I chuckle at her, out of everything I just said she just happens to focus on _that._ I think you're gorgeous, but please don't be afraid to be yourself around me. I love you for who you are, I don't want you to change for me" I say pleadingly.

"Ok Jake" she says softly while smiling at me sweetly. I smile at her and kiss her forehead. I look on my phone and see that we have 5 minutes until the baby squirrel falls from the tree.

"Good. Now come on, we have a baby squirrel to return to it's tree" I lightheartedly. She grins and we go down the stairs and out into the yard. I quickly grab the rope and we walk to the tree. Emma holds out her hand and looks down at her watch expectantly. And right on time the baby squirrel lands on top of her hand. We laugh as I begin to tie the rope around her waist. Once I've finished tying it she unstraps her shoes and I hold onto the rope tightly as she begins to soar up into the sky. She puts the squirrel back in its nest and I carefully begin to pull her back down. She grabs onto my shoulders and I carefully wrap my arms around her waist.

"I love you" she whispers into my shoulder.

"I love you too" I tell her before kissing the top of her head. After another minute of hugging she straps on her shoes and I untie the rope from her waist. We walk side by side back to the house laughing with each other, unaware we were being watched my a certain ymbryne.

Miss Peregrine's POV

I smile as I watch Emma and Jake walking back to the house. I'm in bird form and I'm watching from a tree branch close to the house. I had seen and heard their conversation in Jake's room. Olive had said that Jake asked for us to give them privacy but I had been concerned. I had noticed that Emma's personal had changed greatly since Jake came to stay with us, and I'm sure the children have too. I'm very grateful for Jake setting things right and it seems like Emma is back to her old self. As they walk inside I can't help but notice how happy Emma is with Jake. To be honest I've never seen her so happy, not even when Abe was here. Don't get me wrong I love Abe, but I've never seen him make her as happy as she is with Jacob right now. When he'd returned to his time that first night and Emma had come back to the house, she'd had this spark in her eyes that I couldn't place at the time. But now I know that it was adoration in her eyes. She admires him a lot, and I've noticed that they are very close. At first I'd been worried when Emma and Jake had became a couple. But when I look at Jake all I can see in his eyes is the love he has for her. I can see in his eyes that he really admires how strong she is. I know that he adores her and I'm glad that Emma has him as a close friend and as a sweetheart. I think back to his confession about his family earlier, I honestly cannot believe that his parents would treat him that way. Jake is a fine young man and I could see in his eyes that he was hurt by how his family had treated him. I'm not upset with how he had snapped at Enoch, he was defending himself. But I will be having a long talk with Enoch and make him apologize to Jake. I watch as Jake holds the front door open for Emma and join her inside. I let out a happy chirp and take off into the sky. I'm going to have a quick flight before we all go on our daily walk.


	11. Drama At The Dinner Table

Jake's POV

Emma giggles as I gently tickle her stomach.

"J-jake stop" she manages to get out between giggles. I grin and kiss her cheek once before blowing raspberries on her neck. This causes her to laugh harder and she gently tries pushing me away. We're in her ship and I have her backed against the old table where she'd shown me my grandpa's old map. We'd asked miss Peregrine if we could skip the daily walk so we could talk in private. She'd allowed us and made us promise to be home by supper time, and we'd quickly agreed. We came straight here and Emma had teased me, saying that I look cute when I blush. And I had responded by chasing her to the table and wrapping my arms around her before kissing her senseless, that is what lead to us being in this situation.

"You look adorable when you blush" I say playfully before kissing her on the nose. She grins and I pick her up and hold her against me. She wraps her legs around my waist and I carefully make it so she's sitting on the table.

"I love you"quicklyys lovingly. I lean in and lightly kiss her on the lips, she kisses me back immediately and we stay like this for what feels like forever. We break our kiss and we're both panting hard and clinging to each other.

"I love you too Emma" I say breathlessly. Her eyes light up and she hugs me. I hold her close and just enjoy the feeling of having her in my arms.

"Jake will you really stay with me forever?" she asks hopefully. I take her hand and put it over my heart. My heart flutters underneath her touch and I smile at her.

"Do you feel that? That's my heart beating for you, it belongs to you now and it always will" I promise. She uses her free hand to pull my head towards hers and crushes our lips together. I kiss her back eagerly and she tangles her fingers in my hair at the back of my neck.

"We should go love, we don't want to be late for supper" I gasp out after we break the kiss. She nods reluctantly and unwraps her legs from my waist. I let her go and back up to give her room to stand up. I smile at her and we make our way out of the ship.

We walk up the steps of the house and go into the dining room. Miss Peregrine is just finishing setting up the table and looks up after hearing us enter the room. She smiles at us when she sees our joined hands.

"Right on time" she says happily. We quickly sit in our seats as miss Peregrine calls everyone else down for supper. Soon we're all filling our plates and chatting happily when Enoch speaks up.

"So Jake when are you planning on breaking Emma's heart?" he asks me curiously.

"Enoch that is n-" miss Peregrine begins to say.

"No miss Peregrine it's fine, I'll handle this" I say calmly before turning to look at Enoch.

"Look Enoch I understand that you don't like me, but I love Emma and no matter what you think I'm not going anywhere. You don't have to like it but you're just going to have get used to me" I say firmly. His eyes widen and I notice that everyone else's eyes were wide too. Emma is the first one to relax and she turns and smiles at me. I smile back at her slightly and one by one we all begin to eat again.

"Jake what is your favorite color?" Olive asks me curiously.

"Green and blue, why?" I ask her.

"I just think it would be nice if we got to know you better.

" _I just think it would be nice if we got to know you better_ " Enoch mocks.

"Honestly Olive grow up, I get it you fancy him but Uncle Sam over their already has Emma" he scoffs.

"Enoch I don't-" Olive starts to explain before getting cut off.

"Oh come off it Olive, when are you finally going to grow out of those stupid fantasies? Love is stupid and I pity anyone who thinks otherwise" He says annoyed. I look at Olive and see that she's about ready to burst into tears.

"Enoch maybe you should sto-"I begin to say.

"Shut it Portman. Love is useless, it only holds you back and she should know that by now. But she continues to be a naive little girl believing that one day her prince charming will come and sweep her off her feet, it's not gonna happen" he says hotly. Olive sobs and gets up from her seat and runs from the room.

"That is enough!" I snap. I stand up and march over to his seat. I stand him up and pin him against the wall, and everyone goes silent.

"How could you treat your best friend, the only one in this house you've ever been close to might I add, that way? All I've seen you do since I got her is push her around or push her away from you. And why? Because she cares about you, maybe even loves you" I say angrily. He opens his mouth to say something but I stop him.

"Honestly, you don't even realize how lucky you are to have a girl like her. Where I'm from there are not many girls that would be so loyal as Olive is to you. I may be dating Emma now but I do care about Olive like I would a sister, which technically she is. And I swear to god that if you _ever_ hurt her like that again, I will make you pay" I growl before shoving him and going out of the room. I see that the front door is open slightly and quickly go outside, hoping to catch up to Olive before she does something she'll regret. I walk to the backyard and hear sobs coming from behind the dino shaped bush. I walk around it and see olive curled up, crying into her knees.

I sit next to her and don't say anything, waiting for her to make the first move. After a few minutes she looks over at me and I see that she's in tears.

"I'm sorry I-" she starts to say.

"No. Don't apologize, there's nothing for you to be sorry for, Enoch's the one that screwed up not you" I say comfortingly.

"I can forgive how cold he is, I can forgive how mean he can be, it's just that-" she cuts herself off with a sob.

"You love him" I say understandingly. She nods slowly and buries her face into my shoulder. I rub her back and prepare for the upcoming heart to heart.


	12. Bonding And Reminiscing

Jake's POV

We stay in that position for a few minutes, awkward silence growing between us until she begin's to speak.

"I don't know why I love him so much. I know I shouldn't, because of the way he treats me" she mumbles into my shoulder.

"Sometimes you can't help who you fall in love with" I say gently, thinking about a girl I'd had a major crush on in my freshman year.

"You sound like you know how this feels" she says curiously, shifting her head so she's looking at me.

"It was my freshman year of high school, there was this girl named Amy. She's one of the popular girls at school. You know, fancy cloths, wealthy family, beautiful, but she was very snobby to anyone outside of her circle" I begin to explain.

"She doesn't sound very nice" Olive says.

"Oh believe me she wasn't. But despite all that I still tried, I did everything I could to try to impress her. I changed my style in clothes, jelled my hair, put flowers in her locker. Nothing worked" I admit, feeling a bit embarrassed as the memories flash in my head.

"You don't have to change for anyone, we like you for who you are" she says softly, looking up at me with honesty swimming in her eyes.

"I know, and believe me when I say that I feel the same way about all of you. When I was young I really looked up to you guys" I chuckle, remembering when I told my grandpa that miss Peregrine and the children were my heroes.

"Really? What were you like? when you were younger I mean" she asks me curiously.

"Me? hmm let me think" I say softly, looking back through my childhood memories, looking for the right way to describe myself.

"Well I suppose you could say I was very adventurous, when grandpa told me all of those stories all I'd ever wanted to be was an explorer. I remember marking a map with little red stickers with him and labeling what loop they were. I remember telling my parents that night that grandpa had been helping me with my first voyage" I laugh, remembering that night as if it was just yesterday. Olive giggles and I smile, glad I was able to make her feel better. My smile disappears slightly, when I remember what had happened next.

"My dad, who had been sitting on the couch flipping through TV channels, said 'everything's already been discovered buddy' then took a sip out of his beer" I say a little depressed, thinking about my parents and wondering what they're doing right now.

"How could he do that? How could anyone say something like that to a child? You were a kid with a dream, he had no right to try and take it away from you!" Olive says angrily, and I see fire in her eyes.

"My grandfather wasn't happy about that either. He'd picked me up and carried me to my room before my dad could say anything else, and proceeded to tell me a bedtime story about this place, and showing me pictures of you guys after I'd asked about them" I let out a small laugh, remembering when I'd asked him about the pictures before he could start telling the story.

"So that's how you recognized us so easily" Olive realizes, remembering when we'd first met.

"Up until I was 10 years old I'd believed in you guys with all my heart" I say quietly, looking down at the ground.

"What happened when you were 10?" she asks me, knowing something must have happened that made me stop believing.

"There was a show and tell at school, and I'd brought the pictures of you guys to school and told everyone about you guys. Everyone laughed at me, and made fun of me for believing in ' _fairy_ _tales'_ , I'd been so embarrassed I'd gone home early and my dad had proceeded to tell me about how grandpa's stories weren't completely true. That the monsters he'd fought and had hidden from weren't the kind with tentacles, they were Nazis. That you guys were special, but not the way he'd said" I feel tears sting my eyes, and my voice crack slightly as I remember the look on my grandpa's face when I'd confronted him on the couch, when I'd given him back the box of photos.

"Jake" Olive says gently, rubbing my arm with one of her gloved hands.

"The way he looked at me when I'd confronted him after my dad had explained to me, when I'd given him the box of pictures. I'll never forget that expression, and I'll never forgive myself for causing it" I say with tears beginning to run down my cheeks. I close my eyes and try to get the memory to stop playing in my head.

"Jake, you couldn't have known. You were just a kid, don't blame yourself" she says comfortingly, removing her and from my arm to wrap it around my shoulders.

"I'm sorry Olive. I came out here to comfort you, instead you're comforting me" I say apologetically.

"Don't be sorry, now we can comfort each other" she says softly, rubbing my shoulder. I reach up and wipe away the tears, then I turn to her and give her a small sad smile.

"Do me a favor, don't tell anyone anything I just told you. Especially not Emma or miss Peregrine" I plead.

"I won't tell anyone, I promise. Your secret is safe with me" she promises. I grin at her and wrap my arm around her shoulders, giving her a small side hug.

"Thanks" I say quietly.

"You're welcome" she says, giving me a small smile. I smile back and pat her on the shoulder a couple of times.

"C'mon let's go finish eating supper" I say encouragingly, nudging her shoulder with my hand. She nods and we stand up. I keep my arm around her shoulders and we begin to walk to the front of the house.

"Don't let anything Enoch says get to you, don't let him have that power" I tell her as I open the door with my freehand.

"Don't worry I won't" she says determinedly as we enter the house. I close the door behind us and we walk over to the doorway of the dinning room. Everyone looks up when they hear us approach and they look at us in surprise. I glance at Olive and see her glancing back at me. I nod my head slightly and pat her shoulder once before removing my arm and returning to my seat next to Olive. Olive sits back in her seat and picks up her fork. That snaps everyone out of their trance and we all begin to eat again.

"Olive are you alright?" miss Peregrine asks gently.

"I'm alright miss Peregrine. Jake gave me some good advice, that's all" she says kindly as she gives me a small smile from across the table, which I gladly return. Enoch, who had been glaring at me in silence since we'd reentered the room lets out a small growl of annoyance that I chose to ignore. I look at Emma and see her looking at me with concern in her eyes. I take her hand in mine under the table and give it a reassuring squeeze. We smile at each other before refocusing on finishing our meal.


	13. Painful Memories

**Jake's POV**

After supper we all gather in the living room and watch as Horace gets out his monicle and begins projecting his latest dream. Emma sits next to me and I give her a small smile before resting my left arm on the arm of the couch. Once again we see him trying on a suit before the scene quickly changes to where Olive and I were just doing moments ago.

 _"I'm sorry Olive. I came out here to comfort you, instead you're comforting me" I say apologetically._

 _"Don't be sorry, now we can comfort each other" Olive says softly, rubbing my shoulder. I reach up and wipes away tears, then turn to her and give her a small sad smile._

 _"Do me a favor, don't tell anyone anything I just told you. Especially not Emma or Miss Peregrine" I plead._ Out of the corner of my eye I see Emma and Miss Peregrine look over at me with concern in their eyes

 _"I won't tell anyone, I promise. Your secret is safe with me" she promises. I grin at her and wrap my arm around her shoulders, giving her a small side hug._ At this point I see Enoch glare even harder at me and I roll my eyes at him.

 _"Thanks" I say quietly._

 _"You're welcome" she says, giving me a small smile. I smile back and pat her on the shoulder a couple of times._ The scene changes and I automatically recognize the location. This isn't the future, this is a memory. In front of us is me working on stacking adult diapers in Smart Aid, my mother's family's store. This is what happened the day grandpa died.

"Why are you back in Florida Jake?" Bronwyn asks softly.

"Are you thinking of going back home?" Claire asks sadly, and the little ones begin talking over each other.

 _"Do you ever feel like nothing you do matters?"_ my thoughts in the memory asks, and all of the chatter stops. They all stare at me in wonder and concern, and I even see Enoch soften a little.

 _"You leave footprints on the beach and tomorrow they're gone"_ _my voice continues_ and I continue to sit there in silence.

 _"Like it's just today over again"_ at this part I just keep my focus on the tower I'm trying to make in the memory. I don't want to see everyone's looks when they realize that in my own way I had been living in a loop like they had.

 _"They say your teen years are for making friends and having fun, I guess that applies to everyone except me"_ My thoughts continue as the view begins zooming in, my back turned to everyone. A familiar girl approaches me and I turn to her nervously.

 _"Hey Amy" my past self says as the girl stands next to me._

 _"I-It's Jake I'm in your math class" I continue, not noticing the other teens approaching._

 _"Hey don't forget your adult diapers" Amy says as she tosses a package at a blonde haired boy who catches it with ease. He laughs with a few other girls before tossing it at the tower and knocking over most of the wall I'd just finished. They all walk away laughing and I look down with a sigh before picking up the mess._ I see everyone look at me with sadness in their eyes, and this is why I haven't talked about my life back home. I don't want to be pittied, it only makes me feel worse. The scene changes to me and Shelly getting into her car.

 _"But that day everything changed"_ _My thoughts continued._

 _"Thanks Shelly" I say to the redheaded woman._

 _"Eh no problem, so how come you have to go deal with your grandfather anyway?" She asks,_ and I see everyone's eyes open in shock. They're about to finally see what happened to grandpa.

 _"My dad couldn't get off of work" I answer._ We watch as I call my grandfather and everyone gasps at what he says to me before hangimg up. _Shelly and I make small talk until we pull into the driveway._

 _"Hollar if you need me" Shelly calls out as I walk up to his house. I knock on the door a few times before pulling out my key and letting myself in._ Everyone gasps in horror when they see the state of his house, and I look down at my lap, not wanting to relive this.

"I can stop this Jake if it's too painful" Horace says quietly, and I shake my head as tears gather in my eyes. As much as I don't want to I need to man up and face this. When I look up I see myself looking at the tear in the screen door with a mix between horror and shock on my face. I watch as I tell Shelly someone broke in and how she tells to wait there while she gets her gun. _I turn around and my eyes widen when I see the fence destroyed. I walk through it and continue on into the woods. I look down and see a flashlight. covered in blood_ at this part I hear several of the children let out sobs as I pick it up. This time I don't bother holding back my sob as I watch myself run to my grandfather and kneel beside his body as I turn him over and see his eyes missing. We all watch in horror and sadness as I call 911 and we all jump when grandpa grabs my wrist.

 _"You have to get away from here" he says gravely._

 _"Please listen, go to the island. Find Emerson, the post card. Go to the loop, September 3rd 1943" he continues_ and I let out a small sob as I try to wipe away my tears.

 _"It..It's okay just don't move there's an ambulance coming" I try to calm him down before he interrupts me._

 _"I know you think I'm crazy...but the bird will expain everything"_ _he says quietly_ and I hear Miss Peregrine sob. I turn and give her a small sad smile before focfocusing back on the projection.

 _"Will you do this_ _tygrysku? Promise me" he says desperately._

 _"I promise yes" I say frantically._

 _"I thought I could protect you...I should have told you years ago" he says before taking his last breath._ I feel more tears slide down my cheeks and wipe them away. I look around the room and see everyone in tears, including Enoch. We all watch in sadness as I shake grandpa's body frantically while asking him what he should've told me. I hear several cries as the hollow begins approaching and that's when I decide I can't take it anymore.

"If you guys don't mind I think I'll skip watching the changover tonight" I say before bolting out of my seat and running out of the room and up the stairs. I lock myself in my room and sit on my bed in silence for a few minutes. I reach down and pick up my backpack off of the floor. I take out _The Complete Essays And Other Writings Of Ralph Waldo Emerson_ and put my bag back on the floor. I stand up and turn on the lamp on the nightstand before sitting back on the bed with my back against the wooden headboard. I open the cover and see grandpa's messy scrawl on the bottom of the title. _To Jake, and the worlds he has yet to discover- From grandpa xx_ it reads. I run my fingers over the words sadly and there's a loud knock on the door.

"Jake? Are you alright?" I hear Olive ask gently as she knocks on the door softer this time.

"Yeah" I call out gently, not wanting to worry anyone else in this house more than I already had.

"Can I come in? I promise it's just me out here, Emma and Miss Peregrine are still downstairs" she says softly. I force myself to get up and unlock the door. I lwt her in before locking it again.

"I'm sorry you had to see that again, that must have been so hard for you" she says apologetically, wrapping her arms around my waist.

"I miss him" I mumble into her hair after wrapping my arms around her. She sniffles into my neck and hugs me tighter.

"Me too, your grandfather was a great man. The bravest one I've ever met" she says softly before we break our hug and sit on the foot of my bed.

"What's this?" she asks as she picks up the discarded book.

"My grandfather meant to give it to me before he died, my aunt found it and gave it to me on my birthday" I say before gently taking the book from her and showing her my grandfather's message. She smiles down at the words and runs her gloved fingers over them just like I had.

"If he was here I know he'd be very proud of you for finding your way to us" she says with a small smile before hugging my shoulders like had done to her earlier.

"Is everyone mad at me for locking myself away again?" I ask, looking down at the ground.

"No! Of course not, we all just feel really bad about everything you've gone through to get here" she reassures me, squeezing my shoulder.

"Thanks for being here Olive, I appreciate it" I say with a small smile.

"Of course, what else is family for" she laughs.

"You're one of us Jake, you always have been" I look up at her confused when she says this.

"When Abe wrote us years ago about you being born, we were all very excited and for weeks all we would talk about was meeting you and how much fun it would ve to have you around" she explains after seeing my confused look.

"Even back then you guys cared about me?" I ask with a small laugh.

"Of course" she says with a smile and I can't hold back a small yawn.

"If you don't mind I'd like to try and get some sleep" I say with a small smile.

"Oh of course!" she says understandingly as we both stand up and walk to the door. I unlock it and open it for her.

"Hey Olive" I call out as she begins walking down the hall.

"Yeah?" she says before walking back over to me. I wrap an arm around her shoulders and hug her again.

"Thanks for being such a good friend, and a great sister" I mumble into her shoulder. She hugs back and for a moment I feel like I finally am part of a family.

"Anytime" she mumbles before breaking our hug.

"Goodnight" she says with a smile.

"Goodnight" I say with a matching smile. I watch as she disappears down the stairs before closing the door and locking it. I lay down and fall asleep after reading a few pages from Emerson's book.

 **A/N: Hey guys sorry it's been so long since I last updated, everything has been crazy the last few months. I've graduated high school and worked for the summer. I have a boyfriend now and this weekend he is coming up to stay with my family for a while. I've been spending the past few weeks trying to get ready for that and I'm also thinking of redoing this story. I've read it over a few times and A Different Story and there are a few changes I'd like to make. Please feel free to let me know your opinion on this.**


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